As Good as I Could Be: A Memoir of Raising Wonderful Children in Difficult Times

by Susan Cheever

Having children transforms us -- through the amazing power of our love for them and theirs for us, through the anger they can provoke, and because being good parents means we must accept that we are no longer children. In As Good as I Could Be, bestselling author Susan Cheever chronicles with passion and courage her own imperfect transformation, offering inspiration for other parents doing the best they can.
By relating the trials and triumphs of raising a daughter and a son Cheever illuminates some basic truths learned along the a family should not be a democracy; teaching your children to celebrate their mistakes helps them forgive yours; and a damaged childhood is not a guarantor of bad parenting. With unflinching honesty, Cheever tackles tantrums, divorce, eating disorders, and alcoholism, celebrating how she and her kids have weathered all this -- and more -- with love and respect intact.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Memoir

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2001

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

She lost me here -- after her daughter pursued an interest in witchcraft and her daughter "found a store on the West Side devoted to various kinds of witchcraft, and she began to hang out there in her spare time. She saved up her allowance for a cauldron." Okay. But Cheever's response, "Was I worried? Maybe I had so much else to worry about in those years that I wasn't paying attention, or maybe I had become a more tolerant woman." I wanted to understand, until this comment. If my kid is buying a cauldron in fifth grade, I think I would be a bit more proactive to find out why. This is pretty young to be buying a cauldron, right? In Cheever's defense, her daughter is now pursuing a theology degree and Cheever feels that this is partly because of her willingness to let her daughter explore different religions. I admire the author's willingness to write about dark territory, but this tale of a privileged dysfunctional New York family left me feeling empty.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Different than many “my life as a parent” books because it doesn't have the humor. I prefer humor. It does have one particularly good quote “To say that having a baby changes your life is a great, great understatement. Having a baby explodes your life and you may or may not be able to find your old self among the pieces.”

[Elyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I had hoped, but I always appreciate an honest account of the challenges of being a parent.